Bennington board approves early bid awards for second high school, about $11.5 million

The Bennington Public Schools Board voted to award eight early bid packages for the district's second high school, approving recommended contractors and amounts to keep the project on schedule.

Presenter explained the district received bids for eight early packages covering ground improvements, foundations, structural miscellaneous steel, elevators, hollow-core elements, site utilities and geothermal systems. The preconstruction estimate for those packages was $10,588,896; staff recommended awards totaling "just under 11,500,000.0" and said the overage (about $900,000) is expected to be offset by savings in later packages.

Staff emphasized two reasons for choosing some recommended bidders even when they were not the lowest bidder: better match to the solicitation scope (to reduce likely change orders) and schedule capability (one bidder was the only contractor able to start work Feb. 1, avoiding a two-to-four month delay). The presenter said, after these early packages, the next major bid package will cover roughly the bulk of the remaining work and is expected to be released in September or early October.

The motion to award the contracts listed each recommended contractor and amount: CNC Foundations $484,100; Great Flame Steel/DW Steel $439,336; TR Construction $2,161,626; Midwest Steel Supply $3,450,350; Kone elevators $267,064; Horselab Structures $520,852; Titan $2,174,374; and K2 Construction $1,995,000. A board member moved the awards, another seconded, and a unanimous roll-call vote approved the motion.

Board members asked clarifying questions about the structural steel increase; staff explained that miscellaneous steel quantities and connections often change after full drawings are produced, which can raise bid prices.

The board expects the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) and the general contractor's final fee to be presented at a future meeting once the remaining packages and final drawings are complete.